Donald Trump’s defense team previewed a very Donald Trump strategy during Tuesday’s procedural debate in the impeachment trial: lie, attack, ignore the facts. Now it’s time for a concentrated blast of that as they begin their opening arguments.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:05:12 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Jay Sekulow, ladies and gentlemen, is reading a FISA court document on an FBI investigation which is all part of a scheme to see how many times he can say “Crossfire Hurricane.” Because man, who wouldn’t want to say Crossfire Hurricane. Crossfire Hurricane. There, I said it again.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:07:28 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Sekulow seems like he’s getting ready to unfold not just an argument to support not just Trump, but the Crowdstrike conspiracy. Which … sure. Let’s do that.

At this point, I honestly can’t think of anything that might move the needle more than letting Trump’s real motivations spill all over the Senate.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:13:30 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner If Donald Trump withheld military assistance to Ukraine because of concern about European "burden sharing" then: - Why didn't they tell Ukraine? - Why didn't they tell Congress? - Why didn't they tell anyone in Europe who might have done something about it? Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:14:17 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

And none of this has a thing to do with the assistance to Ukraine, where Trump had no legal standing to hold the aid without notifying Congress.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:15:36 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Notice that Sekulow keeps quoting words out of context without playing the clips so you can hear either the question or the full response.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:21:10 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

What Sekulow ignores is that Trump twice passed along the full military assistance package to the previous Ukrainian government, despite genuine concerns — raised by the DOD — about the government at that point being corrupt.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:22:46 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Notice what’s in every other hold on military assistance? The word “announced.” When Trump delayed the assistance in other instances, it was done with announcements and notification to Congress.

The aid to Pakistan was cancelled because Pakistan failed the review required under legislation.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:25:41 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Might be worth pointing out that it was Congress that authorized sales of offensive weapons to Ukraine, a process that didn’t begin until after the pro-Russian government that Paul Manafort helped put in place was ousted.

Oh, and that previous Ukraine government who got their aid unhindered? They got that package after the president at that time suspended Ukrainian investigations into Manafort.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:28:56 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Sekulow sits down and hands over to White House deputy assistant attorney Pat Philbin.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:30:56 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

What might have really worked to show Trump’s concern about burden sharing, would be evidence that during the hold Trump talked to some other country about increasing support for Ukraine.

Or heck, that he made that pitch at any time. So … where is that evidence?

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:33:20 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Philbin going through the excuses for why it’s perfectly okay for Trump to deny all evidence and witnesses. Which is kind of pitiful, really.

Donald Trump’s defense team previewed a very Donald Trump strategy during Tuesday’s procedural debate in the impeachment trial: lie, attack, ignore the facts. Now it’s time for a concentrated blast of that as they begin their opening arguments.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:04:06 PM +00:00 · Barbara Morrill

Ongoing coverage can be found here.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:04:23 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

And we’re getting underway on Saturday morning as we prepare to hear the Trump team’s defense of Donald Trump. I’m sure, after 64 hours of writing about impeachment this week, you’re as thrilled about this as I am.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:06:39 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

As they settle in, let us contemplate the way in which despite 24 hours of careful case-building each day, and a further 11 hours of laying the case out during the amendment process, somehow each day Republicans found one thing that they all agreed was offensive. Just one statement every day that allowed them to say “Well, the House case was going well, and then X, and X made me so angry that I forgot everything else.” 

Quite the coincidence.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:11:11 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

McConnell repeats that Team Trump is expected to take only two to three hours today, with a possible break in the middle. Why they’re choosing to do it this way isn’t quite clear.

Pat Cipollone starts off by saying that they don’t anticipate using 24 hours because he doesn’t believe the House team has “met their burden” because Trump “did absolutely nothing wrong.”

Cipollone making it clear that the day devoted to get attacking the House managers. And, of course, he gets in not only “asking you to overturn the last election” but their new bit on “taking the 2020 election away from the American people.”

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:12:27 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Cipollone starts off by saying that the House team didn’t talk about the transcript — despite Schiff reading the transcript.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:22:19 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Cipollone pretends that the portion of the transcript he read was somehow “covered up” when it was explicitly covered, complete with a breakdown of Europe’s contributions. Still, you can bet at the end of the day Republicans will suddenly discover that they “heard new things” today.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:27:00 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

MIchael Purpura stands up to play the less than a minute worth of Schiff talking about the phone call during the House hearings that were the designated Thing To Be Angry About during that hearing. Again, expect Senators to be shocked at this, despite having seen it before, and despite the number of times that Schiff makes it clear he’s not reading from the transcript but giving the “essence” of the case.

Purpura then goes through the “facts” that the Trump team are going to talk about. Which seem to have grown absolutely nothing than what Jim Jordan and Kevin McCarthy said in the House. 

It’s easy to see why they’re not going to talk long.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:27:53 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

x

Ah. I see Fox "news" is actually leaving up the sound for Trump's lawyers. They had up the picture but no sound for the House managers. Of course. Of course.

— The Rude Pundit (@rudepundit) January 25, 2020

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:35:03 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Team Trump has spoken for twenty minutes, and already managed to get in overturning an election, shredding the ballots, basement meetings, process arguments, and fake news.

It's easy to see why they won't need 24 hours. Because this is highly compressed bullshit.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:37:14 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Purpura takes time away from attacking House managers to attack call witness Jennifer Williams. Don’t expect this to be the last time they go after the witnesses.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:45:25 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

A lesson in how to write around the evidence—show the video from everyone except the witness who noted that the Ukrainians expressed concern on the day of Trump’s call.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:53:18 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Hey, you know what surprising information the Trump team has just revealed? That the “Democrat witnesses” aren’t the high level witnesses who held direct meetings with Trump. 

Seems like we should be talking to those guys.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:57:54 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Shorter Team Trump: Why didn't the House managers do our job for us?

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 3:59:07 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Sekulow calls on Republicans to extend their empathy to … Donald Trump. Because really, who has had it tougher than Trump?

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 4:02:33 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

He’s been talking for five minutes, and Jay Sekulow is already the most embarrassing member of Trump’s team by 200%. 

It’s the final day of the House managers’ opening arguments in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff delivered a closing argument for the ages on Thursday night, and now we get to find out what he left for the actual closing argument.

Schiff will again be joined by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler and Reps. Val Demings, Zoe Lofgren, Hakeem Jeffries, Sylvia Escobar, and Jason Crow. Daily Kos will have continuing coverage.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 12:40:21 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Folks, we are in the home stretch. House managers have done a fantastic job both in laying out the case against Trump and in trying to anticipate the case that will be made by Trump’s attorneys starting on Saturday morning.

Jason Crow is up with about 2.5 hours remaining on the clock for the House team, talking about how ridiculous it is for Trump to believe that he’s immune to indictment, can’t be investigated, can issue a blanket claim of privilege, can deny every subpoena, and isn’t answerable in court.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 12:48:29 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Crow’s personal conclusion: “There’s been a lot of conversation the last few years about what makes America great. And I have some ideas about that. I think that what makes America great is that generation after generation, there have been Americans willing to stand up and make sacrifice for their country. I have seen people give everything for this country, so we can sit here today.

This isn’t politically expedient. It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. But that’s the definition of public service. We are here to give of ourselves to this country. Those who have given so much for this country deserve no less from us now, than to honor their sacrifices. 

I have tried to do that these last three days. My time is done, and it is now your time.”

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 12:49:28 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Adam Schiff steps up and declares that this is the last presentation. Says that he was given the advice “to be immortal, you don’t have to be eternal” so he will try to keep it short. Starts off by saying that he’s exhausted and thanking everyone for listening.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 12:52:30 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Schiff runs though the counts of what Trump did to earn an article of Abuse of Power, ending each statement with “that has been proved.”

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 12:53:25 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

x

It sounds like @RepAdamSchiff is about to close the whole case (pending witnesses) and I feel like I’m watching Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.#impeachmentTrial

— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) January 25, 2020

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 12:57:45 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Despite his statement that he is exhausted—which is certainly easy to believe—Schiff is bringing energy and emotion to this final pitch, attacking the charges and reviewing the entire case.

Adam Schiff is leaving it all on the field.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 1:03:03 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Schiff defends the idea that the obstruction charge is at least as important as the abuse of power charge, because that charge shows Trump’s challenge to Congress’ ability to investigate any crime.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 1:05:23 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Schiff once again pointing out that even if the House wins every single time in defending their subpoenas, Trump can simply run out the clock.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 1:09:50 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Schiff making a pre-emptive strike on the case to be presented by Trump’s team, including defending the whistleblower.

Saturday, Jan 25, 2020 · 1:18:58 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Schiff also gets in some advance eye-rolling at the faux outrage out his mocking Trump. Then Schiff hits directly at Alan Dershowitz and Ken Starr for the public arguments they’ve made in defense in Trump.